When I first heard of the Captain Universe concept back in the 1980s, it kind of intrigued me. I loved the idea of a set of super-powers that jumped from one individual to another. Other writers have picked up on the potential in the concept, most recently in DC's now-defunct H-E-R-O series. When Marvel recently announced this November Captain Universe event, I thought the notion of cosmic power jumping from Marvel hero to Marvel hero would be a fun one; it certainly made for some fun Spider-Man stories during "Acts of Vengeance" years ago. But Jay Faerber's script, while thoroughly accessible, casts aside an important part of the Captain Universe concept, treating it as being in the realm of the scientific rather than the divine.
Something is wrong with the Uni-Power; it is malfunctioning, and therefore, it is costing lives, leaving its possessors unable to fulfill critical missions. The Uni-Power opts to seek out various superhuman champions in order to replicate their powers, and the first name on its list is the Hulk. But in addition to inhabiting the Hulk and copying his strength, the Uni-Power recruits Bruce Banner to help it seek out a scientist whose life work is studying it in the hope he can help to repair the bodiless energy form.
Carlos Magno's art allows the story unfold fairly clearly, but his style is unremarkable. His offers fairly standard super-hero art. Despite the cosmic leanings of the plot, there aren't any visuals that really grab the reader's attention. The script strives to establish a grave tone, but the art and colors overall are just too bright. I would have enjoyed a darker tone, such as the one Daniel Acuna presents on the cover.
Faerber isn't embarking in a totally new direction with the Captain Universe concept. This plot relies heavily on past stories, but at the same time, the writer is careful to offer an accessible tone, with plenty of exposition in the script. I like that Faerber demonstrates to newer readers that these characters and ideas have history, have a sense of permanence, but at the same time, he constructs a script and story that doesn't require familiarity with that history. On the other hand, the wholly generic nature of the villain of this chapter of the event is disappointing.
The one thing about Captain Universe and the Uni-Power that stood out as unique in the super-hero genre was the spiritual, miraculous quality of the concept. Basically, I felt that Captain Universe was God's way of answering a prayer, of creating a super-hero and healing a soul. I'm not a religious guy, but the heart of the Uni-Power always struck me as something divine (ficitonally speaking). In this story, the Uni-Power is treated as something that can be measured, as energy that can be refocused and manipulated. There's nothing divine about it, and it takes away the one thing that made this super-hero property a little different. 4/10
